50 Best Italian Restaurants near Altadena

“I think Prime Pizza is the best New York style pizza you can get in the LA area. The pizza is really crispy, and they offer both round and square pies. You can order by the slice or get a whole pizza. My go to slices are the spicy pepperoni, classic cheese, and pepperoni. The hoagie is also very good and worth trying.

The parking lot itself is small, but street parking is easy and usually not a far walk. Beyond the food, this location feels very community driven. You can really see it with Pasadena and Altadena merch being sold and the overall neighborhood vibe from the people here.

Seating is outdoor only in a patio setup, and they have a big TV outside where they show sports, which adds to the experience. Definitely a spot I keep coming back to.“

“What a discovery!!! Trattoria Daly is great! In fact it's a real "find" in Lincoln Heights-- just east of downtown but totally convenient. So nice to be in a non-corporate friendly setting in a restaurant run by great people who care about their customers and are proud of what they offer. This neighborhood gem will attract foodies and friends and harkens the beginning of a mini-restaurant row near downtown, Keck Hospital, Dodger Stadium, among other neighborhoods in various directions. The owners were for many years part of the team at Pacific Dining Car-- these guys are well acquainted with high end service and food. What they've established in the past six months, is a friendly local spot with top quality food and service-- for unbelievably reasonable prices. The bill of fare is Italian-- excellent starters, super pastas, and entree's like rib-eye steak, salmon. You can also do a simple pizza night-- or make it a special occasion. I've spent a LOT of time in Italy, and I'm picky about Italian food. This is an excellent kitchen! The general atmosphere is like a "discovery" of that little off the beaten track gem. But word must have gotten out-- when we dined there on a Sunday night, the place was hopping! The visible to the house skilled kitchen was keeping up with the crowd of happy diners. Two decades of Pacific Dining Car (which didn't survive covid) made these guys the pros they are. You shouldn't have to "sell a kidney" to eat well-- and this place is proof. They are in process and waiting for their liquor license -- but you can bring your own vino-- (or pick up something at the Smart & Final down the street.) It's great to see professionals who are really good guys stir up the right ingredients-- warmth, welcome, excellent food, and outstanding service, and ample evidence that the American dream is still alive. Can't wait to go back!“

“Are you kidding me it’s always good“

“The food was very tasty, will be back next time“

“Amazing delicious food and love the ambiance. The servers were awesome!!“

“Every single thing is delicious. Trying to hit the whole bingo card 🤩 Also Micheal, best server 🥇“

“My Daughter & I had dinner here tonight… the food was PHENOMENAL!!! Great Friendly Service too!! What a treat to sit at the bar & watch everything looking delicious coming out of the kitchen window!!! Thank you for such a great Saturday night treat for an out of town Momma visiting her daughter!! I’ll beg her to come everytime I’m in town, and be very Jealous that she gets to come whenever she wants!!! EVERYTHING was BEYOND DELICIOUS!! Bravo!!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻“

“Lost my keys somewhere along Sunset and checked in with Ceci’s to see if anyone turned them in. They didn’t but ownership was so kind and empathetic that they handed over a fresh and delicious piece of tomato focaccia for my troubles. That’s what’s called unreasonable hospitality. Thank you guys, that was incredibly sweet of you and it brightened my day.“

“100% recommend. thank you“

“We celebrated my wife's birthday on Saturday, Dec 20 at the Cicada, this was our first time in this restaurant/lounge. We loved it, everyone was very nice and attentive, the service was amazing. We had the opportunity to have Lupe as our attendant, and she was very attentive and prompt with our meal and drinks. I highly recommend this place, the live band was great and the dancing supper.
Highly recommended.“

“Few places in Los Angeles have friendly
top notch service and great food. This place has both. The staff is incredibly great from front of house to back of house. I’ve been twice and both times have been top tier. The pasta is some of the best the city has to offer. This is my new favorite Italian joint. Great wine, pasta and an impeccable staff. I love Spina!“

“One of the best I’ve had “out” in a very long time.“

“They treat you like family. The food is incredibly great.“

“Had to stop by my favorite Italian grubbin in the heart of Old Town Pasadena all the way from Boise. This was my 3rd time and each time just keeps getting better; definitely the bigger the party, the better. We paid $225 for 4 pasta entrees, 3 appetizers, & 2 glasses of wine for a party of 6. I’ve learned to like my pastas al dente after having them here. The meatballs are banging, the wine-pairing was delightful. Our service was attentive and pleasant; the vibe is always vibrant and homey. Highly recommended.“

“Great food Great service will visit again“

“Try to stop by every time we stay in Glendale. Good food and very reasonable prices. Service is beyond excellent.“

“All around great experience! Good food, great service, good music! If only I lived closer…“

“Great food at good prices“

“Best Italian food I’ve ever had!“

“Great food in a sketchy area. Between people yelling at me out of cars, aggressive barking dogs, and semi trucks blowing through stop signs, I didn’t feel particularly safe.

However, the pasta at Barrio is incredible. The vodka rigatoni with ground sausage was absolutely perfect and adding burrata only made it more so. You get a ton of burrata for the $5 add-on price and it was probably the best I’ve ever tasted. The pesto pasta was okay, I’m not the biggest pesto fan and it tasted like a mouthful of grass to me. The bread appetizer wasn’t worth it, the bread wasn’t warm and didn’t appear to be freshly baked.“

“Old-school charm and service, elegant dining, live jazz piano at the bar. Been coming here for years and it’s still a super treat. 👍🏼👍🏼“

“Muy buen servicio Comida deliciosa…“

“Curbside pickup First time“

“Amazing smoothies and bowls! Yummmmy! Cute shop with food and gift items as well!“

“GREAT HOMESTYLE ITALIAN FOOD BEEN GOING THERE SINCE ELEMENTARY AND THE FOOD JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER THANK U TONY FOR BEING PART OF 4 GENERATIONS OF FAMILY EATING UR FOOD“

“the pizza is ausome been going to Angelo's pizza many years ago and it still the same“

“Our server was awesome... her recommendations were spot on! the food surpassed our expectations! exceptional...The ambiance was relaxing for a Friday night and perfect for our friend's birthday celebration. thank you for making it so special. Very happy party of 4 enjoyed dinner at Marina!“

“Best broasted chicken and large portions. Delicious Italian food“

“It was delicious and my waiter was awesome.“

“Excellent restaurant italien authentique au cœur de LA downtown. Délicieux !!!“

“We've come here several times whilst visiting family in the area. The staff are always excellent and the food is great! We love the atmosphere- you know it's a good place when it's always busy.“

“5 rating Vegan Delicious Pizza!! Slices, full pies, caesar salad, garlic knots, all house-made ingredients. cashew-based cheese. loved it!! As of October 2022, opened for 8 mos.“

“Was super happy with our dinner at Hippo. Every dish was delicious. The brussel sprouts and cauliflower starters had excellent flavors. All the pastas we tried had incredible depth of flavor without being overly heavy or greasy. The hippo rolls and table focaccia were excellent and the chicken thighs were to die for. Only thing that was lackluster was the passion fruit gelato. Fun vibe, lots of seating, and great service!“

“LaCanada Imports has become my go to restaurant for catering large groups. They are so easy to work with. The food is so good! Always ready on time and very reasonably priced. Thank you to the owner and staff, for taking away the food stress of event planning. Call them for next large gathering. I know you will be pleasantly pleased.“

“This place is always a pleasure. Wait staff is on point and food is even better. They do make you feel a little rushed but that could just be the way they do it.

Also, the lead hostess was not a good fit for that place. She was unkind and dismissive.

Other than that…..well worth it.“

“Delicious!!! Best Pizza in LA. Mimosas are super yummy I recommend the guava mimosa and brunch on a Sunday is a must!! Dog friendly and Morty also loves the pepperoni.“

“Very welcoming family owned restaurant, offering great quality authentic Italian food.“

“Very nice ambiance..staff was very professional and the did was Esquisite“

“Excellent customer service and food!“

“☆☆☆☆☆ Chianti, Branzino, Gamberoni All'Agio New Caledonian Prawns 😋“

“Ambiance and service are on top tier level. Service was above and beyond and the experience was great. Everyone that shows up is either a return customer or a neighboring colleague. For only being there for a couple of hours I would definitely recommend this place to anyone that’s a traveler or local. We had wings and pizza. The best for a late night drink and wind down.“

“何を食べても美味しいよ“

“Everything about our experience was great! The atmosphere was cozy and inviting. The menu offered a nice selection of choices. We ordered the lunch special and it was delicious. Beautiful presentation, and in my opinion, we were served a lovely amount of food for a “special.” The service was very good. We do not live in the area but I would definitely make the field trip to eat here again…and bring my friends!“

“No complaints to speak of, it's all good but nothing's out of this world... You'll never be disappointed, but don't expect a gourmet experience. Pizza was...pizza. the wings were fat and VERY well sauced, and the salad was a salad. We got the Manager's special.“

“Girlfriend and l had lunch yesterday, excellent atmosphere, Cheese Steak, Braised Tacos, excellent, service excellent... Thankyou Nikki C's...👍🏽 Megan was excellent!
My Girlfriend's go to spot...😋👍🏽. Alan G. Burch
USMC Veteran...🇺🇸“

“This is a great restaurant in downtown LA. Twice a year there is DineLA and our department has a group lunch. This summer we chose Smeraldi's and the entire group loved the place. The thing we discovered is that Smeraldi's has a great buffet lunch with build your own pasta bar. It's a little expensive for an everyday lunch but I would highly recommend it for a special lunch.“

“I tried Argentinian cuisine for the first time. The empanadas were good and big in size. The best chicken soup. Simple yet tasty. The pork chops were so well cooked and tasty. The seafood pasta with shrimp and scallops was also good. The chimichuri dip was yummy.
The service was little slow even though it was not that busy but worth the wait.“

“I’ve been coming to Pizza Buona since the old corner spot on Alvarado and Sunset, and I still miss that location. The new place is different, but having parking is a huge plus. The Margherita pizza is still my go-to—perfect crust and fresh basil. The meatball sub is exactly how I remember it, saucy and filling. And the lasagna still feels like the definition of comfort food. Glad they kept the classics right.“

“love the service here. been coming here for over 22 years“